Where do you place your trust? When things get tough, when the drought comes, to whom or what do you turn?

Have you planted yourself beside the Source? Or are you waiting for water in the wastelands?

Jeremiah was a prophet during the final years of the kingdom of Judah, in the last days of the 7th century BCE. These verses found in Jeremiah 17 fall in the first section of the book, which can be summarized as an accusation against and a warning for the Israelites. They had broken their covenant with God. They were worshipping idols and taking advantage of the poor, the most vulnerable among them, the orphans, widows, and immigrants. Jeremiah prophesies that their idolatry and social injustice will result in a judgment from God.

The words we read today are hopeful. They speak about showers of blessings that come from trusting God. But it is impossible to fully understand these words without considering the verses just before them. Jeremiah’s emphasis on the blessings, the peace, comfort, and fruit that come from trusting God are in contrast to the curse, the hardness, and the bitterness that come from trusting people over God.

Hear verses 5 and 6:

Prefer to draw strength from the flesh, from earthly things, and you will be deceived, unable to see true prosperity when it comes—empty rather than full, thirsty rather than quenched, withered rather than fruitful.

Trust God and you will live in spiritual abundance. Trust humanity and you will live in spiritual scarcity.

Yes, when the drought comes, we can still expect showers of blessings—not from above but from our roots. Our thirst will not be satisfied by placing our trust in mere humans or in worldly things. Blessings come when we place our trust in God, when we are planted by water.

This devotional was written and read by Greta Smith.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would...

Our scripture is from the Old Testament, the book of Numbers, chapter 6, verses 24-26. Here these words read from the New International Version of the Bible. "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. "

These beautiful words were given by God to Moses as a blessing to the Israelites when they completed a special vow. It strikes me that God is recognizing the completion of their commitment with God’s own personal commitment to see them and bless them. Over the years I have heard this blessing used as a benediction at the completion of many worship services. I have to admit; I like it when the service comes to the benediction. At this point my wife would suggest that it is not a charitable statement to all the great pastors we have had over the years. Perhaps I should explain.

In preparation for marriage, I made a commitment to attend church. Over the years I have come to enjoy it more and as I mature, have a deeper appreciation for all the different components of the worship service. Every part of the worship service has a purpose, and God uses all the different pieces to reach people, whether through the music, the prayers, the statements of faith, the teaching, and the communion service. But regardless of how the service is ordered, they all have one thing in common, an ending. It is not that I look forward to the ending of the service; I look forward to the benediction or the blessing that comes with the end of the service.

One of our pastors states it well by saying, “Now as we depart better prepared for community, hear this blessing…” And then comes the good part.

Blessings like the following, from Paul’s letters.

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

Or contemporary words like,

And,

“Bear witness to the love of God in this world, so that those to whom love is a stranger will find in you generous friends.”

And lately, I have been blessed by the words from our vision statement that says,

Will you join me in prayer as we conclude today’s devotion.

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. Amen.

Today’s devotion was written and read by Owen Ragland.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any

Do I view this as a commandment? Do I live this as a commandment? Do I teach this as a commandment? The Lord has made this day and every day so that I might be alive. And if I am going to live, what shall I do with the time I have on this earth?

I could lament. There are many things in this world that are worthy of tears. There is pain and suffering in this world.

I could ignore. I could go about my earthly life working, traveling, buying things, and enjoying the pleasures of the world.

I could consider myself to be my own purpose. I could work hard to learn, to develop my talents, to earn money in order to gain fame and fortune.

Or if I view this verse as a commandment, as a call to action, perhaps I begin to understand. I have received a gift. When I focus on what Jesus teaches me, then I learn where to see a path and rejoice in where it leads me.

Jesus says the greatest commandment is to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind". He follows this with "love your neighbor as yourself" and that all other commandments are based on these two.

I can begin each day praying that I see the needs of others and rejoice when I am able to help. I can look for what is good in God’s creation and be glad in it.

I can celebrate, hug, and dance. I can laugh, love, and share. How else does one show gratitude for the gifts we receive?

I can share my talents instead of hoarding them. I can be present for those who have a need. And once I have started doing this, others will have a space to rejoice and be glad as well.

Each and every day that I am in this kingdom that God has made, I have the privilege of choosing how I perceive and react to what is in my life.

Dear Lord in heaven above and in my heart, guide me in seeing the joy that I can bring to those who need help. Guide me to see where my gifts can be shared. And always help me to remember to be grateful for all that You have provided and rejoice in Your glory, Amen.

This devotional was written by Jill Pope and read by Susan Daves.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.